How To Learn More While Reading

Many people don’t read because they find it boring. Others would rather learn by watching video content and listening to podcasts, which I think is perfectly fine. Some people are still taking a break from all the reading they had to do in school. I can understand and respect all of these reasons. But others don’t read simply because they can’t find anything written for them. This, I take issue with. 

A key skill when reading anything is interpreting whether or not the piece was written for you, and then pulling the information that’s useful for you. I’ve read a shelf of books written for entrepreneurs, business professionals, and marketers. I’ve read exactly one written for freelancers and one written for digital creators. There simply aren’t that many books written for my specific context. Yet here I am, reading nearly every day, piling up more than 25 books a year. 

If something isn’t written for you, don’t be discouraged. There is still plenty to learn from things that aren’t meant for you. You just need to be vigilant in asking yourself what helpful information can you pull, and how can you reinterpret that information for your context. Plus, it’s a bit delusional to think that you’ll find a book that was written just for you. Books are an expensive medium to create and distribute, so publishers expand their reach by broadening the topics. 

You don’t have to agree with everything you read, and you don’t have to finish a book if it’s not helping you. But you’re leaving information, insights, and money on the table by not doing a little interpretation. 

Good luck out there.